As Zuckerberg Claims Commitment to “Focus on the Biggest Social Issues”, Color Of Change Vows to Hold Facebook Accountable on Unaddressed Issue of Civil Rights and Safety for Black Communities  

Color Of Change

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Contact: Michelle Morris, michelle.morris@berlinrosen.com ; Kwame Belle, kwame.belle@berlinrosen.com

NEW YORK — Today, as Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) announced its Q4 earnings, the company failed to adequately address demands from Color Of Change and other civil rights organizations, and continued to deliver paper-thin promises over action.

Color Of Change Senior Campaign Brandi Collins-Dexter:

“Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg are trying to shift gears and move on, but failed to mention civil rights even once. Color Of Change has not yet seen the changes necessary for Facebook to take a victory lap.

The failure to address the critical issue of civil rights–even while promising forward motion on privacy, safety, content moderation and transparency– is a dismissal of Facebook’s Black users and users from marginalized communities.

What Mark and Sheryl offered on the call is insufficient. Color Of Change and our partners–as well as the rest of the public–have already identified the many challenges the platform faces, especially for our communities. What is needed is a timeline, benchmarks and accountability mechanisms that can earn the trust of the public and show the company is committed to civil rights, racial justice and building toward a safe and fair platform that its scale requires.

We’re not surprised. After promising a progress report on the civil rights audit last year, Facebook instead gave the public the same lip-service we heard on this call: long on excuses and short on meaningful progress. Our message remains the same: do better.”

Color Of Change continues to demand the following in the ongoing civil rights audit to address Facebook’s systemic and operational failures :

1. A C-Suite level Chief User Advocate charged with representing users’ needs who will work in close consultation with civil rights organizations;
2. A public review of practices and mechanisms put in place by Facebook to address civil rights violations and increase public transparency;
3. A public report with recommendations and a timeline for implementation shared upon conclusion of the review;
4. The creation of a public-facing board committee or task force that is provided with the resources and commitment by leadership at the highest levels necessary to ensure full implementation of the report’s recommendations.
5. Facebook must release all documents produced by Definers Public Affairs and any other consultant firms used in the campaign to undermine the credibility of Color Of Change and other civil rights organizations.”